Success for a noob

[Spree]

If your a new player to online tournaments what can you consider to be successful play on average? I mean obviously in the money is success but when your new your probably not going to be regularly there.

I've played in 5 online tourneys (mainly 5 dollar tournies)

the first few I finished around mid pack. (2000 out of 5000 or so)

The last 2 I have placed 19th out of 1834 and 180 out of 1711.

Is that what you would consider good play for a new player or is that average or so?

[Dominic]

doing pretty good so far, Soree...just realize that there is incredibly variance in such large tourneys and that even great players may not place as high as you have in many successive tournaments....

[Spree]

but do you feel that good players plan on regularly (say 3 outta 5 maybe) placing in the money?

[ricdaman]

I am a winning tournament player. I win on average about 5 times my buy in. So, over 10 $5 tourneys, I win on average $250. Now... to answer your question... I only place in the money on average 3 / 10 tourneys. I place at the final table in 2 / 10 tourneys. Hope this answers your question.

[Spree]

How long did it take you to arrive at this result.

[ricdaman]

My sample is fairly small, having played only about 50 tourneys. And let me clarify one thing, I win nothing in 7/10 tourneys. Of the 3/10 I place in the money in, 2 of those are at the final table.

I take the strategy of "go for the gold." This may not be the best strategy. For me, when I play conservatively and just try to make it to the money every time, I usually bust out early to middle in the money, which is usually about 2 times my buy-in. By gambling a little bit more, I bust out of more tourneys without hitting the money, but the times I do hit the money, I usually place quite well, winning 20 times my buy-in quite often ($100 on a $5 buy in), usually around 5th place for a normal MTT on UB.

Keep in mind, this is NOT the suggested strategy of "Tournament Hold'Em for Advanced Players." For me, it's a lot more fun and exciting to make it to a final table, than it is to win money. So I am playing for the thrill more than for the money, and the money is taking care of itself.

BTW... you are just starting. I played 13 tourneys before winning 1 penny. You are already doing better than me! If you haven't read, "Tournament Hold'em For Advanced Players," READ IT!!! This completely turned my tournament play around. I lost my first 13 tourneys, read the book, and my very first tourney I played in after finishing the book, I won over $100 in.